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Zhoushan

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Zhoushan is a large urbanized archipelago in eastern China. It is located at the southern mouth of Hangzhou Bay. These islands sit off the mainland city of Ningbo in Zhejiang province. Zhoushan is officially a prefecture-level city. It is the largest archipelago in the country. The area contains 1,390 islands and 3,306 reefs.

China Sheet VIII
China Sheet VIII

The geography of the archipelago is quite diverse. It consists of many islands of different sizes. Only 103 islands are inhabited by people all year round. Out of these, only 12 islands have populations larger than 10,000. There are six major islands in the group. Zhoushan Island is the largest of them all.

A panorama of Zhoushan's new city center
A panorama of Zhoushan's new city center

Other large islands include Daishan, Liuheng, Jintang, Zhujiajian, and Qushan. The city center is Dinghai, which is located on Zhoushan Island.

A bird's-eye view of Dinghai harbor
A bird's-eye view of Dinghai harbor

The climate in Zhoushan follows a humid subtropical pattern. This is known as a Köppen Cfa climate. It features four distinct seasons influenced by the monsoon. Summers are generally hot and humid. Winters are often cool and damp. The East China Sea helps moderate these temperatures. The average temperature in January is 6.4°C. The average temperature in August is 28.2°C.

Ferryboat between Zhoushan and Ningbo
Ferryboat between Zhoushan and Ningbo

Rainfall is significant throughout the year. The second half of the year tends to be sunnier. There are about 1,823.7 hours of bright sunshine every year.

Zhoushan has a history that stretches back thousands of years. People from the Hemudu culture lived there during the Neolithic period. This was about 6,000 years ago. During the Spring and Autumn period, the area was called Yongdong. It belonged to the state of Yue at that time. In the year 863, a monk named Zhang-shi placed a statue of Guanyin at Chaoyin Cave. This site later became a major destination for pilgrims and tourists.

Puji Temple of Mount Putuo
Puji Temple of Mount Putuo

The islands also have a history of conflict and trade. Between 1530 and 1560, pirates used Zhoushan as a principal base. They launched attacks that reached as far as Nanjing. After pirates were suppressed, Zhoushan became an important commercial port. Western traders frequently visited the area during the early Qing dynasty. However, trade restrictions in 1760 forced many Westerners to leave.

A Stele Inside the Opium War Memorial Park of Dinghai
A Stele Inside the Opium War Memorial Park of Dinghai

During the First Opium War, British forces captured Zhoushan in 1840. This led to many changes in how the islands were governed.

Today, the economy of Zhoushan is very diverse. It was traditionally based on the primary sector, specifically fishing. Zhoushan is actually the largest fishery in China. Now, the economy includes secondary and tertiary sectors as well. Shipbuilding and ship repairing are major industries. Tourism and service industries also contribute a lot to the economy.

Xihoumen Bridge in Zhoushan
Xihoumen Bridge in Zhoushan

In 2016, the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was 122.85 billion yuan. This was an increase of 11.3% from the previous year. The city is a major economic zone in Zhejiang province.

The population of the municipality is quite large. During the 2020 census, the population was 1,157,817. Most of these people live in the built-up metro area. This urban area includes the districts of Dinghai and Putuo. The majority of the residents are Han Chinese. The population is divided into many smaller administrative units. There are 36 township-level divisions in total. These include 17 towns, 5 townships, and 14 subdistricts.

Dinghai Cultural Square
Dinghai Cultural Square
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🖼️ Images & Media (19)
File:China Sheet VIII.jpg
China Sheet VIII.jpg
File:A Stele Inside the Opium War Memorial Park of Dinghai.jpg
A Stele Inside the Opium War Memorial...
File:A panorama of Zhoushan's new city center.jpg
A panorama of Zhoushan's new city center.jpg
File:A bird's-eye view of Dinghai harbor.jpg
A bird's-eye view of Dinghai harbor.jpg
File:Dinghai Cultural Square.jpg
Dinghai Cultural Square.jpg
File:Panorama of Hou'an Community of Changbai Island, Xiaosha Sub-District, Dinghai District.JPG
Panorama of Hou'an Community of Changbai...
File:List of Zhoushan bridges detailed with names, districts and counties belonged, start and end points, total lengths and dates opened.jpg
List of Zhoushan bridges detailed with...
File:Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport.jpg
Zhoushan Putuoshan Airport.jpg
File:Xihoumen Bridge in Zhoushan.jpg
Xihoumen Bridge in Zhoushan.jpg
File:Gangdao Bridge.jpg
Gangdao Bridge.jpg
File:Zhoushan Bus Terminal.jpg
Zhoushan Bus Terminal.jpg
File:Ferryboat between Zhoushan and Ningbo.jpg
Ferryboat between Zhoushan and Ningbo.jpg

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